INEOS Automotive and RNLI announce partnership

INEOS Automotive has become an official partner of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)), the charity that saves lives at sea. Over the next five years, the INEOS Grenadier will become the official vehicle of RNLI lifeboats and support the RNLI by helping their volunteer lifesavers launch to those who are in difficulty in the water and in need of their help. Over the duration of the partnership 20 Grenadier Station Wagons will be deployed at certain locations around the UK and Ireland to support the charity’s courageous volunteers in their lifesaving role.

As well as undertaking regular duties at RNLI lifeboat stations, the Grenadier’s main role will be to position, launch and recover the RNLI’s D-class lifeboat at selected stations. Highly manoeuvrable and able to operate close to shore, the inflatable D-Class has for the past 60 years been the charity’s workhorse, saving over 30, 000 lives and aiding over 160,000 people. It comes into its own for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations, often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves.

Following intensive coastal trials by the RNLI, the Grenadier will use its best in class combination of off-road and on-road driving performance, and the robustness and durability to safely withstand the rigours of RNLI activities. Like the RNLI’s lifeboat fleet which are built to operate effectively in some of the most challenging and time critical situations, the Grenadier’s robustness will become the perfect addition to the charity’s launch and recover equipment.

Jamie Chestnutt, RNLI Director for Engineering and Supply, said:

‘The partnership between the RNLI and INEOS Automotive aligns perfectly with INEOS's ‘Built for More’ ethos given the lifesaving work conducted by the RNLI and our volunteers. As a charity which relies solely on donations, support such as this from INEOS Automative enables the RNLI to continue to save lives at sea, while also providing our operational volunteers with the best equipment available. Only by working in true partnership with industry can we sustain our lifesaving service in our 200^th

Lynn Calder, CEO, INEOS Automotive, comments, “We’re very proud to support the RNLI, an incredible charity that performs round-the-clock life-saving work in very difficult conditions. Its volunteers rely on vehicles every day, both boats and cars, so this is a powerful endorsement of the Grenadier that it’s able to meet the rigorous standards required for such vital frontline work.”

As well as providing the RNLI with its Grenadier, the partnership will see INEOS support the charity to spread their vital water safety messages to new audiences. It also provides the opportunity to collaborate on future technology to sustain the RNLI’s lifesaving efforts now and into the future.

Ends

Contact details:

• Sarah Pelling - Head of PR - [email protected] - 07786 275 912
• Oliver Wrynne –Simpson - RNLI National Media Manager - [email protected] - 07795127351

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.